Medlen Moved To Napa Car

[you]

I don't see this as a demotion at all. This, to me, looks kind of like what Don did with Lee Beard. Lee seems to be the Top Fuel team chief and now Ace has moved into the position of Funny Car team chief. But then again, what do I know.

 

[nitrojunky]

I don't see this as a demotion at all. This, to me, looks kind of like what Don did with Lee Beard. Lee seems to be the Top Fuel team chief and now Ace has moved into the position of Funny Car team chief. But then again, what do I know.

I don't recall Beard being taken off of a car that is in the top ten to be the team manager?? Wasn't there down time?? I realize that my memory is pretty lousy, I just don't see this being the same thing. JMO.

 

[Just Paul]

I don't recall Beard being taken off of a car that is in the top ten to be the team manager?? Wasn't there down time?? I realize that my memory is pretty lousy, I just don't see this being the same thing. JMO.

Yeah, Whit had a DNQ in Chicago a few years ago, and Lee got the boot shortly after that. Lee ended up at David Powers operation 'till that went down, and then he went back to DSR.

 

[nitrojunky]

Yeah, Whit had a DNQ in Chicago a few years ago, and Lee got the boot shortly after that. Lee ended up at David Powers operation 'till that went down, and then he went back to DSR.

Still not the same. To be booted (which is what I thought was what happened) and then offered a job as a manager later. That shows respect for Beard's overall abilities and has appeared to be a good fit for him. Ace on the other hand is in the middle of a top ten season. I am as big a Medlen fan as Ace and teaming them up (like JFR has done with Zippy and Coil) could be the thing to help get that NAPA car totally in sync but that isn't what is happening. I still think it's crap, but again, JMO.

 

[jm]

Does anyone think "crybabies" had any role in all this?

 

[nitrojunky]

Does anyone think "crybabies" had any role in all this?

If that were the case Beard would've been gone long before he was. His mouth was forever overriding his good sense.

 

[Bullard Anderson]

Not to ruffle feathers with my opinion, but I feel I'm one of the Top 5 Capp's fans alive. Ed and Ron have been together for a long time. They haven't won a championship together. I'm not saying they couldn't have. I feel the goal of everyone at DSR associated with the NAPA Dodge is to win the title. Maybe a shakeup is just what the doctor ordered. Watching Roland and Ron, and Ed and Ron you automatically become very attached to the driver/crew chief combo. Roland was always cool to me when I had a chance to chat with him, and Ace is a legend. It's tough seeing Ed having to step down. As a fan I just want the blue and yellow Dodge in the fight going down the wire. Change isn't always better in motorsports and in life. We've all seen that. Only time will tell.

 

[mick]

steve,
in the same vein, i'd like to eventually see john medlen enjoy great success
and become synonymous with a driver again, who that may be is yet unknown;
this week, this team, next month, another team or next year.........
i just hope it happens.

lee hasn't failed to qualify in abu dhabi yet has he?

 

[Kelly]

It is what it is......

NOW LET'S GO WIN A RACE!

 

[none]

Something to think about. With "TEAM" cars, you would think the set-ups would be alike. John has been working on one of the "TEAM" cars but in the article Ace said "He’s not that familiar with what we do". I know that can mean a lot of things but maybe there was not enough sharing going on.......

I respect Ace and feel he is a legend. That being said, he is "Old School" and that can be a double edged sword.

 

[Kelly]

Something to think about. With "TEAM" cars, you would think the set-ups would be alike. John has been working on one of the "TEAM" cars but in the article Ace said "He’s not that familiar with what we do". I know that can mean a lot of things but maybe there was not enough sharing going on.......

I respect Ace and feel he is a legend. That being said, he is "Old School" and that can be a double edged sword.

I guess you missed this, Mel.

“It’s difficult knowing we were trying things for the better of the team when we could’ve easily just put the same setup we had in it (the car) last year, and continued down the road,” Capps said. “But our three teams, Rahn Tobler (crew chief with Beckman), Tommy DeLago (with Hagan), and Ace got together and took an approach that if we were all trying the same thing, we were kind of burning up time, so we all tried to do something different to help each other’s team. Ace, I could see every weekend, there was a little bit of a struggle, but there was a small ray of sunshine in what we were trying to do. That’s the hard part when they throw you a little bit of bone like that.”

 

[club]

Another thought, maybe it was the sponsor that said it's time for a change.

Even guys as "big" as Schumacher and Force still have to answer to the sponsors.

 

[Fast Al]

Jim, You may be on to something. NAPA spends buttloads promoting their product, and I think they expect winning results.